“QR system reactivated”
The Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, Eranga Weeraratne, issued a special statement announcing the introduction of a new QR code system to secure the country’s fuel reserves and ensure an uninterrupted supply to the public amidst the ongoing global political crisis. The Deputy Minister emphasized that managing fuel consumption as a country has become essential due to the uncertainties in the world market.
Pointing out that many countries have taken steps to limit fuel consumption due to the war situation in the Middle East, the Minister noted that countries like Pakistan have already restricted services to a few days a week. While the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) possesses sufficient fuel reserves for the coming months, he stressed the need for a systematic distribution mechanism to maintain those reserves for a longer period without creating an artificial shortage.
To prevent unnecessary congestion at filling stations, the Minister stated that the decision was made to implement the QR code fuel distribution program starting over a weekend, specifically to minimize inconvenience to the public during weekdays. Previous system issues, such as changes in vehicle ownership and mobile number discrepancies, have been resolved, and the vehicle de-registration process has been streamlined. He requested individuals who have sold their vehicles to remove them from their accounts so that the new owners can register them successfully.
Training for filling station staff and owners to ensure the success of this program is scheduled to be completed within today. The Minister stated that state and private sector technical teams have worked round-the-clock to update the system in a very short time, and confirmed that all necessary steps have been taken to mitigate minor technical issues that may arise during the initial phase.
Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne urged the public not to create queues by harboring unnecessary fears of a fuel shortage and called for maximum cooperation with this formal management process introduced by the government. The Minister expressed confidence that all technical obstacles will be cleared by tomorrow morning, allowing the public to access the service easily.
